Ledyard High School honors Ellen Mahoney

On Saturday, in a ceremony that Ledyard athletic director Jim Buonocore admitted may have been overdue, Ellen Mahoney’s devotion to the program and school were forever immortalized with the dedication of the Ellen Mahoney Softball Complex.

By BRIAN GIRASOLI

The Bulletin

By BRIAN GIRASOLI

Posted May. 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 5, 2013 at 5:02 AM

By BRIAN GIRASOLI

Posted May. 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 5, 2013 at 5:02 AM

Ledyard, Conn.

Ellen Mahoney recalled her first year with the softball program at Ledyard High School in 1976, when the players wore shorts from their closets and the uniform tops were from the basketball team.

From an auspicious beginning, Mahoney had molded the Colonels into a power in a short five years, winning a state championship in 1980. And until she retired in 1997, Ledyard continued to pile up the wins and championships in incredible fashion.

On Saturday, in a ceremony that Ledyard athletic director Jim Buonocore admitted may have been overdue, Mahoney’s devotion to the program and school were forever immortalized with the dedication of the Ellen Mahoney Softball Complex.

“I’m totally in awe of the amount of people who are here (Saturday),” Mahoney, of Norwich, said. “The older you get, and you look back on things, they flew by. As much as it flew by, I can’t get over the amount of times that friends of mine who were involved with the program, how often we sit down and reminisce about all the wonderful things that happened.”

The varsity and junior varsity fields, located behind the baseball and lacrosse fields, were constructed within the last five years on property donated from William Geer, whose name also adorns the sign. All throughout Mahoney’s career, the Colonels played at Ledyard Middle School, a short drive down windy Route 214.

“After we won our first state championship,” Mahoney said, “I can remember walking into the gym and looking up and saying to myself, ‘Well, Ellen, you better enjoy that because it may not happen again.’ ”

But it did, over and over again. Mahoney won more than 80 percent of her games (355-84), including seven state championships and 12 Eastern Connecticut Conference titles. From 1988 to 1996, Ledyard won six state championships, including two Class L titles in 1993-94 and two Class LL titles in 1995-96. She’s a member of the Norwich Free Academy, Connecticut High School Coaches and Connecticut Softball halls of fame.

“We had a bunch of fairly mediocre players with an amazing pitcher, and (Mahoney) instilled teamwork with us. You learn to live and breathe as a team,” said Jen McCracken, Class of 1988. “We’re still close.”

Ex-Colonels from as far away as California attended Saturday’s event, which featured speakers such as former principal Lou Gabordi and current principal Amanda Fagan. Many of Mahoney’s former assistant coaches stood off to the side as well.

When it was Mahoney’s turn to speak, she invited her former players to stand behind her. Mahoney thanked former coaches and colleagues, family and teammates. She recalled how other programs thought that the professional nature of the program made them “look like a Major League team — that being the Red Sox,” which drew some good-natured hoots from the crowd.

Page 2 of 2 - Among those she named were retired UConn associate director of athletics/senior women’s administrator — and golfing pal — Pat Babcock, and Sarah Jane Shearer, the pioneer of girls’ athletics at Norwich Free Academy, Mahoney’s alma mater. Both were among a crowd of about 100 on a sun-splashed day.

“Ellen was an outstanding teacher and coach for a very long time here,” said Buonocore, who taught with Mahoney in the physical education department from 1998 to 2000. Mahoney retired from teaching in 2007. “She had a huge impact on the student-athletes. Her success on the field speaks for itself, but it’s the daily effect that she had on the athletes at Ledyard High School that goes without saying. Just a wonderful educator and a wonderful coach.”

While she no longer coaches softball, Mahoney still is involved with the sport. She is an evaluator with the Big East Conference at UConn games.

“I miss the experience of (coaching) and the kids,” she said. “(But) things in life change, and you just move on to the next adventure.”